The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-27
THE TROUBLES OF THE GILPINs.
The Romantic Story Told as to Ex-Governor
Gilpins Courtship and Marriage.

Denver (Co1.) Special.
Mrs. Gilpin has given her testimony in the d.
vorce proceedings instituted by her husband. ex-
Governor William GIlpin. She was on the stand
two days and denied seriatim the charges maze
against her by her husband She opposed his
stories of extravaganza with the assertion that
he frequently failed to provide her with the me-
cessities of life. and characterized the statement
that herself and her children had held prayer
meetings for his removal as the widest kind of an
halIucination.
Previous to Mrs. Gilpin's taking the stand in
her own defense, Mrs John T. Speer, who keeps
q private school, and who taught the GilDin
children for awhile, testified to an incident
which occurred in her house day. Mr.. and
Mrs. Gilpin were there on a matter of business,
when some dispute arose between them, and
angry words were soon succeeded by more seri-
Gus attitude of hostility. In the midst of the
wrangle Mrs. Gilpin. who was particularly fierce
in her onslaught, caught sight of q paper-cutter
on Mrs. Speers table, and made dash for the
ger. and, siezing Mrs Gilpns arm. after short
tussle. obtained possession of the knife, and
averted the impending danger.
The testimony however. is not half so in
teresting as the romance of the, at present, war
ring Gilpins. They were lovers in childhood.
Young Gipn got acquainted with the Prattes
began to pay his devoirs to Miss Julia. He
ried gngercake to her in his pockets and bore
sweet barber poles of candy under his arms
The world was full of beauty and joy and love
for them awhile but cloud over their
skies in the shape of a young army officer named
Dickinson. who captured Julias heart at one fell
swoop. and shut devoted William out in the
cold
Miss Julia Married Mr.. Dickinson somewhere
around 1849 or 1850, aud young Gilpin went
back to his study of physical geography and his
fhnrv,o al NV rJrp rodt MA
pire. He was stout-hearted, stern and ambl-
tous, and the disappointment he had suffered
could Eot overwheim him.
He never forgot his early love, and seemingly
never relinqushed the hope of some time pos
sessing her for his own. He exploited in this
region for many years, and was Governor OF the
property and was considered very wealthy man,
with his pame written all over Colorado's history
When, toward the latter end of 1873, he learned
that Julia Pratte Dickinson was a widow, as
swiftly as a Kansas Pacific train could carry him
to St Louis he went there and began paying his
devotons at the old shrine He was so success
full that in April, 1874, he made Mrs. Dickinson
his Wife The marriage was surprise to many
of his friends.
1: is related that during his bridal trip he met
some gentlemen on the cars who still imagined
him to be bachelor. He told them a little story
about boy named William and a girl named
Julia who made mud pies together, and learned
to love each other over the clayey pastry; how
William went West and grew up with the coun-
try, and twenty five years later, hearing that
Julia again free, he went back East and won
her.
'.And now" he said to his friends. shat little
coy William is myself, and if you'd come back
to my state-room I'll introduce you to my
Julia"
This was the manner in which he broke the
news to them. The alacrity with which Julia
accepted William is now attributed by the ex-
Governor to a mercenary consideration. He
says she took him for his money, and has been
living off him at a So, 000 900 rate.
Her method of attacking his exchequer is
best explained by story of his own. One
afternoon. the Ex-Governor SAYS. he was sitting
in his library reading, when Mrs. Gllpin came
in and asked him for $1,000 He wanted to
know the use to which she intended to put the
money, and she told him she was going to start
for California that night, and ne suggested that
she might put the trip off until the morrow. but
she would not yield.
The Governor then refused to let her have the
money. when, reaching up under the folds of
her sack, she pulled out tack-hammer and
begged him a blow on the temple. He was
knocked insensible. and when he recovered Mrs.
Gllpin was on her way to the Pacific coast She
borrowed ST. 900 from Catholic priest who
always accommodated her on occasions of this
kind, and was thus enabled to make the jour-
ney.
It was Mrs. Gilpin's way, the Governor COM
planned to waltz in on him whenever she took
the notion, and announce that in few hours
she would start for ST. Louis New York or
some other distant part, and invariably with the
announcement came demand for ST., 600. Her
trips never cost less than this figure and she
went to st. Louis to visit relatives, taking her
children along, four or five times year.
II the Governor refused the thousand, she did
not always peg HIM in the head with tack
hammer, but went directly to Father something
or other at the cathedral. and borrowed the
amount. and the Governor had to pay it back.
Once the Governor went to New York to sell
some of his land. left $500 with Mrs Gilpin and
an order for Unlimited groceries to run the house
during his absence. He was away five or six
weeks. and was astouished to see Mrs. Gilpin
turn up in New York city with her children
What she wanted, the Governor says, was the
the free and unrestrained use of his check hook
and bank accounts, and her extravaganza was
more the greater surprise to him as she had not
81 to her name when she married him. She had
complete command over the Ex-Governor. and
when a visitor called he went back into the
kitchen or out into the woodshed without asking
any explain alton.
The cruelest treatment he received, though,
according to his own account. was the compulso-
~ infliction upon him of rayer-meetinRs. IN
Salvation Army style, in his own household,
wherein Mrs. Gilpin and the children prayed
heartily and aloud for the Governors removal"
this being the expression they used
It seems, ii his story is true, that they were
not willing to leave the question OF his taking off
entirely to Providence for once in his library
the Governor. detecting chilling suggestion of
danger in the atmosphere, turned in his chair
and discovered Mrs. Gpin creeping upon him
with poised table-knlfe in her hand.
Finding she detected, she turned uncon-
cernedly around and left the ROOM
An impression of the woman's sternness of
character may be obtained by reading the man
ner in which she treated the deputy sheriff who
served the court papers on her. The deputy,
Billy Weiss, is little man, was uuartermaster
Of the First Colorado Regiment raised by Gilpin,
during the war, and for the payment of which
he issued the famous Gilpin drafts. being $780,
600 in personal drafts upon Salmon p Chase,
signed by William Gilpin, which never would
have been paid probably had not the pet
lambs" devils from Pixies Peak" as they
were called, won the battles of Apache Canyon,
Valverde and Pigeons Ranch. and saved Fort
Z nion by defeating the Texas rangers.
Billy Weiss went to the house on Champa
street and caught Mrs. Gipn just she
coming from a shopping He pulled out
his papers and began to read, but got further
the title of the document when Mrs Gil
oin throwing off her wraps made dive out of
The door and through the gate, and soon
carrying her 200 pounds avoirdupois gayly up
The street.
The Governor, who had his eye on the pro-
seedings, saw the escape and yelled. ''For Gods
sake, Billy, run and bring her back" Billy ran;
-. aa.xa-.i Li-.alz. 49,,